The Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991. The park, located in the extreme western tip of Java on the Sunda shelf, includes the Ujung Kulon Peninsula and several offshore islands and encompasses the natural reserve of Krakatoa. In addition to its natural beauty and geological interest – particularly for the study of inland volcanoes – it contains the largest remaining area of lowland rainforests in the Java plain. The coral reefs of the Ujung Kulon coast and Krakatau Group are dominated by a small number of coral species and support some of the richest fish fauna in the Indonesian archipelago, as evidenced by the abundant deep fish populations of barracuda, sailfish, tuna, skipjack, sharks and abundant reef populations of butterfly fish. Pictured here among different species of Acropora corals is a long-spined sea urchin (Diadema).

Today, over 40 World Heritage sites are listed for their marine values. Together, they can be considered the “Crown Jewels of our Ocean” and are recognized for their outstanding beauty, exceptional biodiversity, or unique ecological, biological, or geological processes. Learn more about this and other marine World Heritage sites.